Ever see modification to a gun that was just a bad idea?

[Flintshooter]

A discussion on a muzzleloading Facebook group got me to thinking about this.
What I’m talking about is a rifle or pistol that has had work or alterations done that changed it from a serviceable and safe firearm to an accident waiting to happen.
The classic for me was seeing a 22/250 built on a Krag action. The classic that hopefully never actually got done was the Flobert some old guy was carrying around at a flea market. I would have been reluctant to shoot CB caps in it. His thought was that if he couldn’t sell it he would have it chambered for a Hornet. Pointing to the muzzle, his reasoning was that the hole was about the same.

 

[Plan2Live]

The first thing that comes to my mind is bump-fire stocks but those aren't guns.

 

[Browning]

The first thing that comes to my mind is bump-fire stocks but those aren't guns.

Restrict something into oblivion without the consent of the people and those people will find ways around that injustice.

Even if the solutions aren't great, they kind of work.

 

[Flintshooter]

This getting off the rails in a hurry.
What I’m talking about is one of a kind garage gunsmith jobs that made a gun unsafe to use.

 

[Jim Watson]

A thread here has the concept of a SKS in .22-250. I don't think it is possible which is a good thing because it would not be safe.

 

[Odd Job]

I've renamed the thread to be a bit clearer.

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Fitz Specials

 

[Tommygunn]

This may be controversial, but I'm going to point out the 1892 Winchester modified to fire by cycling the lever in the old tv series, THE RIFLEMAN. It was a great tv prop, dramatic, fun.... all that.

But in reality I do not want a firearm that goes off when the bolt closes on the round, Triggers exist for a reason.

 

[Pat Riot]

Mall Ninja mods that weigh the gun down and make it look like a giant Swiss Army Knife and unsafe to properly handle.

 

[FlSwampRat]

This may be controversial, but I'm going to point out the 1892 Winchester modified to fire by cycling the lever in the old tv series, THE RIFLEMAN. It was a great tv prop, dramatic, fun.... all that.
But in reality I do not want a firearm that goes off when the bolt closes on the round, Triggers exist for a reason.

It's just a lever action that fires from an open bolt. <not>
Actually, I saw a mod that had a little flip lever inside the trigger guard portion of the action lever that when toggled would either trip the trigger or it could be flipped out of the way to not engage the trigger. I'm sure it was completely home done, but it was a good job. No idea on working life.

 

[Mowgli Terry]

This guy shows with a gun he had customized. He started with a perfectly good five screw 38 Special S&/W Combat Masterpoece. He had filed on the hammer and frame. He had the hammer and trigger gold plated. He had added part of a Pachmayr pot metal vent rib sold at that time. Guy came in to show us this monstrosity-. Another self-styled gunsmith came in telling how he would put valve grinding compound in a Python to further smooth up the action. The Python was slight off-topic.

 

[George P]

FitzGerald Special

 

[Pat Riot]

One of the worst types of mods that I have encountered was not a mod that one could see. It was poor trigger jobs that a couple of guys I used to know would do to their own firearms.
One shot in Silhouette Competitions and .30-30 Thompson Center pistols with 3 Oz. trigger pulls weren’t exactly the safest firearms I have ever fired.
The other fancied himself a Gunsmith. He loved Single Action revolvers and got a kick out of handing his revolvers to people at our shooting events loaded with cartridges that were at the maximum load specs. Yeah, he was and probably still is a moron. Max’d Out .44 Magnum cartridges in a Blackhawk with a hair trigger isn’t much fun to shoot.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Where’s the pic of the Beretta with a bayonet?

 

[Cump]

I've seen some Glocks with reduced, stippled grips and double-undercut trigger guards. Overdone. Probably not a safety issue, but so much plastic was removed, I would question long-term durability.

 

[JohnKSa]

Saw a video of a person who put a foregrip on a full-auto Glock using the factory accessory rail. That rail wasn't meant to stand up to that sort of stress and the foregrip came off in the middle of a burst. The hand holding the foregrip ended up in front of the muzzle with predictable results.

That said, I suppose it wasn't really a modification as much as an accessorization.

 

[Archie]

Fitz Specials

That was my first thought. Specifically cutting away the front of the trigger guard. (Removing the hammer spur is okay by me.) Not sure if the Fitz modifications include removing the front sight. I think removing the front sight is rather ill advised as well.

The trigger guard modification by Fitz was actually done for a good reason. I've heard two stories, but both circle around J. H. Fitzgerald and his hands. He was by accounts a big man with big hands. He also boxed bare knuckle in his youth. So his fingers were long and he couldn't get his finger in the trigger guard quickly. And or, his hands were broken up from the boxing days and he couldn't move his fingers quickly. Either way, he felt the cut away was needed to use the revolver. It quickly became a fashion statement for many.

 

[Good Ol' Boy]

Any internal work to a carry gun that is otherwise good to go from the start.

 

[ACES&8S]

First thing comes to mind is how -we-, including myself, back in the late 70's used to drill out the nipple on
old muzzle loaders to get better fire to the powder. It seemed to work more often that way but when one would
fire the rifle, the hammer would be cocked by the pressure escaping thru the newfound exit. The smarter of us changed
back to the original nipples asap, but still felt that -smarter- would have been better applied to have never considered
this as an option.

 

[herrwalther]

Any modification that uses tape (of any sort) to attach said modification.

 

[milemaker13]

 

[Elkins45]

Many, many things have been done to Glocks that qualify. Night sights are the only thing you need to add to a Glock.

 

[Riomouse911]

Personally, Quad-rail forends on AR 15 rifles.
The idea to allow for adding a light securely to the gun is great, but those huge sharp-edged abominations were like wrapping the forend in a chainsaw blade. Even with covers they sucked. The new styles are a thousand times better.

Oh, while I’m on the chainsaw subject; Mossberg’s chainsaw shotgun. One of the dumbest factory-mods ever.

Stay safe.

 

[Ignition Override]

Flintshooter: Yes, without a doubt.

The ignoramus/fools who alter the shapes of the upper edge of handgun feedramps which blend with the rear of the chamber have no idea....I know, likely a jhp feed issue.

Bulged brass came from the WW2 Mauser Hsc (.32 Auto) I bought four years ago.

$250 for the only spare barrel on Gunbroker.

 

[psyopspec]